By Rachelle M. Nessia
CEBU CITY, April 30 (PIA) — With the Philippine summer heat driving more Filipinos to drink more water, government health officials urged the public to be cautious with what they drink and eat.
Officials from Department of Health (DOH) in Region 7 warned that ingesting contaminated food and water can lead to typhoid, the second leading disease ailing residents in the region.
Other diseases caused by contaminated water include diarrhea, cholera, and dysentery.
“During summertime, people tend to be careless with what they drink and not mindful of the bacteria they can get from contaminated water,” said Renan Cimafranca, head of the DOH-7 Regional Epidemiology Surveillance Unit (RESU).
Common symptoms of typhoid are high-grade fever that last up to two weeks, splitting headache, and diarrhea or constipation.
If the patient does not seek medical help right away, the symptoms can cause typhoid psychosis or intestinal bleeding, said Cimafranca.
Typhoid-stricken patients who have sought medical attention should take the complete course of treatment advised by the doctor, he added.
After dengue, typhoid is the second leading disease in Region 7.
Sinace January to April 13 this year, DOH’s records show a total of 472 typhoid cases recorded in Region 7.
This is, however is lower compared to the 1,512 cases reported within the same period last year, spurred by the outbreak in in Tuburan, Cebu in March last year.
As of April 13 this year, Guihulngan City in Negros Oriental registered the highest in the region with 79 cases.
This is followed by Badian, Cebu with 40; Siaton, Negros Oriental with 32; Dumaguete City, 28; Danao City, Cebu, 26; Cebu City, 25; Sibulan, Negros Oriental, 17; Tanjay City, Negros Oriental, 15; Bayawan City, Negros Oriental, 13; and Alegria, Cebu, 12. (RMN/PIA Cebu)
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